Our websites
Select a country to find our products and solutions

News

  • Success stories
  • Subsidiary

Tennet chooses Salvi for its «new design» Wintrack transmission lines

For a number of years now, Tennet has been progressively modernising the 400 kV transmission line network in the Netherlands with dual lines consisting of three routes (3200 A) to double the AMS620 4-conductor bundles (4000 A) in order to be able to meet the need for increased power in exchanges with countries of North-West Europe.

The Wintrack system is a new concept developed for 400 kV transmissions lines. It significantly reduces the magnetic fields generated by high-voltage lines. Indeed, with the Wintrack system, the magnetic field area is reduced to less than 100 metres, which proves to be a significant advantage in a country with high population density such as the Netherlands. In early 2015, Tennet launched a Europe-wide call for tender for damping systems to be used on the Wintrack line concept. Salvi took part in this call for tender.

Tennet’s strategic objective, as in all product and service offers for Wintrack, is to choose suppliers that can handle their requirements for comprehensive asset management. That way, Tennet can ma- nage the products and related services as a good. Typically, the competition for damping spacers in the Netherlands is headed by German and English companies, whether because these are better known or because Salvi had no references in this area.

Added to this is the fact that in the Netherlands there are specific requirements concerning the use of armed rods to attach damping spacers to the line. The specific nature of these requirements meant that Salvi could provide a perfectly adapted solution, banking on the experience it had gained in this area through the Brazilian project.

An in-depth administrative audit procedure was carried out at Salvi in Milan in order to va- lidate internal production and testing installation processes. Following this, Tennet signed a four-year framework contract with Salvi, for the provision of all damping spacers and attachments for Wintrack projects covered by this period.

The first delivery was made for the 380 kV Beverwijk line - Vijfhuizen project. For the rest of 2016, the Doetinchem Beverwijk-Bleiswijk and Wesel (Germany) projects are due to be delivered. Other projects will follow in the years to come. Ton Visser of SBI Connectors Nederland, who was in charge of commercial follow-up, would like to thank Mr. Muggiasca and Mr. Sangalli of Salvi for their commitment on what was a great project for the Transmission SBU and the Group alike.